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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss-Mississippi State Soccer Showdown Friday In Starkville
10/31/2002 | Soccer
Oct. 31, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss wraps up SEC regular-season play Friday against rival Mississippi State. Game time is set for 2 p.m. CST at MSU Soccer Field in Starkville.
The Rebels (12-3-2, 4-3-1 SEC) have already clinched a sixth straight SEC Tournament berth - the longest streak of any Western Division team - and with a victory over State and a Tennessee win over Georgia, Ole Miss could claim a No. 3 seed in next week's conference championship in Oxford.
The Rebels split last weekend's two SEC matches at home, routing Georgia, 3-0, and falling to No. 16 Tennessee, 2-1 in double-overtime. Despite the UT defeat, Ole Miss rose to 28th in this week's NSCAA national poll (third among teams receiving votes) and remains among the top 30 Division I teams in winning percentage (.765).
Freshmen forward Kelly Renie notched her fifth multiple-goal game of the year with two against UGA, while Junior GK Brittany Gillespie recorded her third consecutive shutout.
Mississippi State (5-12-1, 2-5-1 SEC) enters the final weekend of the regular season with its postseason possibilities over, having been eliminated from SEC Tournament contention. The Bulldogs are tied for fifth in the Western Division and have won only once in their last seven games. The sophomore duo of Jessi Moore and Amy Van Zandt guides State again this year, boasting six goals apiece.
The Rebels lead the all-time series, 4-3-1, and the clubs split last year's two meetings. MSU won the regular-season finale, 1-0 in double-overtime, in Oxford, but Ole Miss rebounded to knock the Dogs out of the SEC Tournament with a 2-1 first-round victory in Baton Rouge.
"Pride is on the line," said UM head coach Steve Holeman. "Despite their record, we know they are a very talented team that is going to be ready to play. It's a great challenge for us, and we know we'll need to bring our best game."
